US experts who work in artificial intelligence fields seem to have a much rosier outlook on AI than the rest of us.
In a survey comparing views of a nationally representative sample (5,410) of the general public to a sample of 1,013 AI experts, the Pew Research Center found that “experts are far more positive and enthusiastic about AI than the public” and “far more likely than Americans overall to believe AI will have a very or somewhat positive impact on the United States over the next 20 years” (56 percent vs. 17 percent). And perhaps most glaringly, 76 percent of experts believe these technologies will benefit them personally rather than harm them (15 percent).
The public does not share this confidence. Only about 11 percent of the public says that “they are more excited than concerned about the increased use of AI in daily life.” They’re much more likely (51 percent) to say they’re more concerned than excited, whereas only 15 percent of experts shared that pessimism. Unlike the majority of experts, just 24 percent of the public thinks AI will be good for them, whereas nearly half the public anticipates they will be personally harmed by AI.
Colleen McClain, a senior researcher for Pew Research Center, told Ars that a lack of studies examining “how the public’s views lined up or did not line up with expert views” prompted the survey. Pew has spent the past four years surveying the public, observing that Americans have gradually grown more aware of AI and its potential.
But the new survey found that as awareness grows, “the US public has become more concerned over recent years.” They’re especially worried about deepfakes, misinformation, job displacement, and bias. It suggests that many Americans still feel very unsure about what AI is, what it can do, and how it might affect them. Pew expected that the experts’ perspective was a missing piece of the puzzle when it came to parsing public opinion amid ongoing debates about how AI fits into society today.
